Sermons of the Sinner
The highly anticipated debut album from KK Downing and his band, KK’s Priest, has today finally been unleashed to the world. Originally set for an August release, the band pushed the release date back to October because of the ongoing Pandemic. I have spent the majority of this week listening to ‘Sermons of the Sinner’ and personally, I think it’s a contender for metal album of the year – I can’t get enough!
Alongside KK, the band features the vocal talents of Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, along with AJ Mills on second guitar, Tony Newton on bass and Sean Elg behind the kit.
The album opens with a dark narration, ‘Incarnation’, akin to the horror movies of yesteryear. It really draws you in and sets the dramatic tone for the rest of the album. Then the album truly begins with the opening track, ‘Hellfire Thunderbolt’. I absolutely love that chugging guitar riff. Hellfire was the first single we heard back in May and perhaps it’s the most ‘Priest’ like song on the album. Sean Elg’s drumming is out of this world and the guitar solo’s are magnificent. Just over three and a half minutes of fast paced, old school, heavy metal.
The second single and title track follow and when I first heard it, I was blown away. This is an intelligent piece of music. The various tempo changes throughout keep you absolutely hooked and I love the slower middle section. AJ’s soloing is magical, it really grabbed me and Tony Newton’s bass packs a real punch.
Next up is Sacerdote Diablo, which translates to ‘Devil Priest’, again I really enjoyed this one. One of three album highlights for me. Ripper continues to amaze me as a vocalist, the song absolutely thunders along with echoes of Maiden in parts, especially in the rhythm section. The guitar work, of course is brilliant, there is just something awe inspiring in the way KK plays, he really makes that guitar speak and like I have said a lot in the past, the pairing of KK with AJ is divine! They work so well together – AJ has taken his place next to a true ‘metal god’ and doesn’t just hold his own, but brings a lot to the table. A great talent!
‘Raise Your Fists’ and ‘Brothers of the Road’ are two hard rocking crowd pleasers, which I can imagine a live audience screaming the catchy chorus’ back at the band at full volume! Both of these are real earworms and will just get stuck in your head! Another highlight is up next, ‘Metal Through and Through’. An eight minute epic, it opens with Ripper singing in his lower register, something that we are not so familiar with. It starts off slow and contained but then gradually speeds up. When the guitar solo kicks in, the song goes up to eleven! Prepare to have your face melted. Then at four and a half minutes, the song slows right down and changes rhythmically, almost becoming acoustic briefly, before the drums come back in and the true epic nature of this song is revealed. This song speaks to the entire metal community declaring we are all ‘Metal Through and Through’ – band and fans are both one of the same.
Wild and Free is another anthem that I imagine will be another live staple! Then comes ‘Hail for the Priest’, the intro conjuring up images of being stood at the metal alter as you worship your metal god! The guitar kicks in after a minute of ‘worship’ but still retains that metal church like feeling with the backing vocals. I really liked the ending too, almost angelic!
The final track is another album highlight for me. ‘Return of the Sentinel’ is a really great piece of musical storytelling and a sequel to a certain Judas Priest song that featured on the Defender’s of the Faith album! I enjoyed hearing the echoes of the original song within the songs riffs, but it is very much it’s own beast with it’s own musical identity! Bringing the story arc of the Sentinel to a close, is it perhaps a little semi-autobiographical? One of the lyrics mid-way through ‘The Sentinel in his glory but no longer in his prime, Win or lose this battle, he stood the test of time’ – well, if it is KK musing about his own success and the success of the new band, I can categorically say that KK’s Priest has won the battle and has delivered an exceptional set of songs.
I saw KK play at the Steelmill a few years ago, and cited that gig as my Gig of the Year for 2019. It seems that KK has done it again, this album has been a long time coming, there have been multiple hiccups, a new drummer, a global pandemic and despite all that this album is the best album that I have heard in a long time. Despite all the delays, Sermons of the Sinner arrived just at the right time. We need this right now. I need this right now and I don’t know about you, but I’m off out now to buy the vinyl!
Released By: EX1 Records
Release Date: 1st October 2021
